Defibrating apparatus and process



G. BLANCHARD 1,

DEFIBRATING APPARATUS AND PROCESS March 17, 1931.

Filed April 29. 1929 ,IIIIIIIIIII a; f I." 1

a 9 z 'i 5% l charged fiber.

rrEo STATES PATENT QFFIQEI GEORGE L. BLANCI-IABD, OI GALEXICO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO 8'. G. BRITTINGHAM DEFIBRATING APPARATUS AND PROCESS Application filed April 29,

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for defibrating cotton seed hulls.

Various attempts have been made to adapt difierent grinding apparatuses and processes I to the work of defibrating cotton seed hulls.

The hammer mill which is ordinarily used for the purpose of grinding corn, alfalfa and other materials has been suggested for this purpose. Generally, this mill has hitherb to been used in such a manner that the hammer blades whirl the material around an an nular path, a portion ofwhich path is provided with an outlet screen sufficiently small to permit only the fibers and powdered hull to 1 escape. An air current is applied through the screen to hold the fiber against the outlet screen and to draw the fiber therethrough. The capacity of such a process and apparatus is small, a large amount of power is required,

2 and the fibers contain an excessive amount of 3 tirely separated from fibersvare repeatedly returned to the fiber outlet screen clogging the machine greatly reducing the capacity of the machine, and at the same time, greatly increasing the powder content of the dis- I It is the general object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and process of defibrating cottonseed hulls which will possess a greater capacity, require less power, to and provide a superior product containing less powdered hull than the apparatuses and processes heretofore used for that purpose.

More particularly, it is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus 4t and process of defibrating cottonseed hulls which will pass the hulls substantially only once over the fiber outlet screen, and will mainly prevent the defibered hulls from returning to the fiber outlet screen.

A further object of the present invention 1929. Serial No. 358,998.

is to provide an independent zone for bold ing the hulls after they have been defibered and to provide a separate means from the hulls scraping hammers or blades for holding the hulls in said zone until they are properly reduced in size for discharge fromthe apparatus and process.

It is a further object to provide a communication between the second or hull discharging and grind zone and the fiber outlet zone in which an air current is provided operative to return to the fiber outlet zone any fiber entrained in the hulls in said zone and the small amount of fibers that may be separated from the hulls in the further grinding on subdivision of the hulls which takes place in said hull outlet zone.

Various further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from a description of the preferred form of a process 7 and apparatus embodying the invention. For this purpose, there has been hereafter described a preferred form or example of a process and apparatus embodying the invention. The description is given in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view partially in section of an apparatus embodying the inven tion.

Figure 2 is an elevation partially in section, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of one of the hammer or cutter blades.

Referring to the drawings, 2 indicates a chute by means of which cottonseed hulls can be fed to the apparatus. The apparatus contains a main chamber 3, the lower part of which is closed by semi-circular screen 4 which contains openings approximate of an inch in size, which are of suflicient size so that the fibers separated from the hulls may pass, but of insuificient size to pass the hulls themselves except when the hulls have been reduced to a powder.

This lower portion of the chamber 3 constitutes afiber screening and separating zone.

Revolvably mounted in the chamber 3 with its axis corresponding substantially to the axis of the semi-circular screen a, is a hammer cylinder 6 formed of discs 7 and rods 8. On

5o r on the hammer cylinder shaft byv means of the rods 8 are pivoted hammer blades or cutters, 9, of thin metal, the plains of which cutters 9 'lie perpendicular to the z Xis of that of the cylinder. Several of the'blades 9 are po- 7 sitioned between each disc? of the cylinder area of the cylinder.

The blades 9 operate as hull scooping members and to facilitate this action are preferably serrated at their edges, as indicated at 10. Each blade is'provided with two openings 11, by means of which they may be pivoted on the rods 8 so that when desired, they may be reversed and their opposite edges used in the hull severing operation. A roughened guide 14 is placed in the upper part of the main chamber 3 to direct the hulls towards the hammer cylinder. The hammer cylinder revolves counter-clockwise as viewed in Figure 2 and external of the mixing chamber is indicated a pully 15 by means of which the hammer cylinder may be rapidly revolved in operation.

Below the fiber screen there is provided and together these blades 9 cover most of the a suction chamber 16 which reduces to a line Y 17 connected to a suction fan 18 by means of which a current of air may be applied downward through the fiber screen, the airentering chute 2 and also the hull outlet screen to be later described. v

Aboutthe first quarter of the chamber, in which the hammer mill operates,serves as a feeding zone for feeding fresh hulls into the fiber scraping and screening zone. Such zone occupies about one-half of the chamber and the final quarter communicates with a hull reducing chamber 19. The hull reducing chamber 19 is mainly closed by a hull outlet screen 20 of comparatively coarse outlets and around the screen, but spaced therefrom,

isa baffle 21 which operates as a guard to direct the'hull particles ejected from the screen 20 downwards. V 1 i lVithin the, hull chamber 19 is provided a hull divider and ejector 21a. in the form of a rotary beater with paddle blades 22. This beater is shown as provided external to the chamber 19 witha gear 23 engaginggear 24 which it may berevolved.

The process of defibering cottonseed hulls as carried out in the apparatus is as follows: The cottonseed hulls are fed preferably continuously through the chute 2. The hulls are picked up by the air currents and hammer blades and carried aroundto the fiber screen 4; Here'the fibers ofthe hulls under influence of the outgoing air current, holds the hulls against the screen and they travel slowly-compared to thespeed of the blades 9. Almost im- The fibers are drawn through the screen 4 while the comparatively fiber-free hulls, be-

ing of relatively large size, and because of loss of fiber less effected by the air current, are now forced by the blades 9 to the hull chamber 19. A bafiie 25 and curved member 26 are provided for directing the hulls into chamber 19 and preventing their being whirled around again to the fiber screen 4.

Thus by the process of this invention whirling of the 'delinted hulls back to the fiber screen is prevented and accordingly, the cylinder may pick up alarger quantity of fresh hulls and the capacity of the machine is greatly increased. V

In the chamber'1'9, the bulls are heldand beat against thehull screens 20 by the paddles 22 which afford a bettercontacttherewith than the surfaces of the blades 9. p

The hulls'thus ejected through the screen 20 are partially further divided in the chamber 19 by the beater 21a. The heater 21a is preferably rotated at a lesser R. P; than the hammer cylinder, so that any hulls ejected from the beater back on the hammer cylinder will immediatelybe returned to the beater. The small amo'unt of fiber entrained with the hulls and any additional fiber liberated in chamber 19 are drawn by air current entering the hull screen 20 to the fiber'screen 4; and pass out said screen, Only lintless hulls thus escape the hull screen.

A considerable saving of power iseifected by theprocess' and apparatus of this invention due to the fact that the hulls are immediately discharged from the fiber screen after they are delinted and keep from returning as a whirl thereto." Moreover,the fiber obtained is comparatively free of powdered hulls.

l Vhile the particular form or example of apparatus and process embodying the invention herein described is well adaptedto carry out the objects of the invention, various modifications and changes may be made and'theinvention is not limited to the particular form illustrated, but includes all such modificae tions and equivalentsas come within the scope by means of an air current, immediately ejecting the fibers from the zone as they are delinted, and passing the hulls to a hull screening zone, there beating the hulls.

1 2. A process of defibrlating cottonseedhulls which comprises, passing the hulls to a fiber screening zone, there scraping the fiber from the hulls, removing the fibersfrom the zone by means of an air current, immediately ejecting the fibers from the zone as they aredelinted, and. passing the hulls to a hull screening zone, there beating the hulls while returning fiber from the hull screening zone to said fiber screening zone by means of an air current.

3. A process of defibrating cottonseed hulls which comprises, passing the hulls to a fiber screening zone, there scraping the fibers from the hulls, removing the fibers from the zone by means of an air current, immediately ejecting the fibers from the zone as they are delinted, and passing the hulls to a hull screening zone, there beating the hulls, and restraining hulls from returning to said fiber screening zone.

l. A process of separating fiber from cottonseed hulls which comprises, severing the fiber from the skins by the action of hammer blades at a fiber screen, holding the fiber containing hulls at said screen against the action of said blades by passing an air current through the screen, said air current removing fibers through the screen, immediately passing delinted hulls from said screen against an air current capable of returning fibers thereto, said hulls passing to a hull screen, mainly preventing said hulls returning to said fiber screen and beating the hulls through said hull screen.

5. A process of delinting cottonseed hulls which comprises, passing hulls to a fiber screen and also to hull screen, scraping the hulls at the fiber screen, beating hulls at the hull screen, and applying a current of air through the hull screen to the fiber screen so as to maintain the fiber and fiber containing hulls at said fiber screen while permitting delinted hulls to be carried therefrom to said hull screen.

6. An apparatus for delinting fibers from hulls which comprises, a main chamber having a fiber outlet screen, a rotor having hammer blades revolvable in said chamber, means for passing an air current through said screen, a hull discharge chamber positioned to receive hulls from said fiber screen and hold the hulls fromrwhirling again to said fiber screen, and a beater for the hulls in said hull chamber.

7. An apparatus for delinting fiber from cottonseed hulls comprising, a rotor having hammer blades operative for scraping fiber from the hulls, a screen for passing only fiber and powdered hulls surrounding a portion of said rotor, means for passing a current air through said screen at such a rate as to hold the fiber containing hulls at said screen, sulficient time to be delinted by the blades of saidrotor, but at insulficient rate to hold delinted hulls at said screen, a hull beater chamber for receiving hulls'from said fiber screen, a hull discharge screen for said chamber, and a revolvable hull heater in said chamber.

8. An apparatus for delinting fiber from cottonseed hulls comprising, a rotor having hammer blades operative for scraping fiber from the hulls, a screen for passing only fiber and powdered hulls surrounding a portion of said rotor, means for passing a current air through said screen at such a rate as to hold the fiber containing hulls at said screen a sufiicient time to be delinted by the blades of said rotor, but at insuflicient rate to hold delinted hulls at said screen, a hull beater chamber for receiving hulls from said fiber screen, a hull discharge screen for said chamber, and a revolvable hull beater in said chamber, and a battle to prevent the hulls whirling back to the fiber screen.

9. An apparatus for delinting fiber from cottonseed hulls comprising, a rotor having hammer blades operative for scraping fiber from the hulls, a screen for passing only fiber and powdered hulls surrounding a portion of said rotor, means for passing a current of air through said screen a sufficient time to be delinted by the blades of said rotor, but at insuflicient rate to hold delinted hulls at said screen, a hull beater chamber for receiving hulls from said fiber screen, a hull discharge screen for said chamber, and a revolvable hull beater in said chamber, the rotor revolving more rapidly than the heater, and a bafile to prevent hulls whirling back to said fiber screen.

Signed at Calexico, California this 9th day of April, 1929.

GEORGE L. BLANCHARD. 

